Charles Swain
Charles Swain (4 January 1801 - 22 September 1874) was an English poet, known as the "Manchester poet." Life Swain was born in Every Street, Manchester, son of John Swain and his wife Caroline, daughter of Dr. Daniel Nünes de Tavarez. He educated at a school run by Unitarian minister William Johns.Charles Swain (1801-1874), English Poetry, 1579-1830, Department of English, Virginia Tech. Web, Sep. 30, 2018. At the age of 15 he began work as clerk in a dye-house, of which his uncle, Charles Tavaré, an accomplished linguist, was part-proprietor, working there until about 1830. After 1830 he was employed by an engraving and lithography firm in Manchester, Lockett & Co., a portion of whose business, that of engraving and lithographing, he soon purchased and carried on to the end of his life.Sutton, 189. On 8 January 1827 he married Anne Glover of Ardwick, who died on 7 April 1878. The leisure hours of his long business career he occupied in literary pursuits. His earliest published poem came out in the Iris, a Manchester magazine, in 1822. His initial volume of verse appeared in 1827, and his last in 1867. In the interval he acquired a wide reputation as a graceful and elegant though not a powerful writer. Robert Southey said that "if ever man was born to be a poet, Swain was." Many of his songs were set to music and attained wide popularity, among them being "When the Heart is Young," "I cannot mind my Wheel, Mother," "Somebody's waiting for Somebody," "Tapping at the Window," and "I waited in the Twilight." He died at his house, Prestwich Park, near Manchester, on 22 September 1874, and was buried in Prestwich churchyard. Writing Swain published, besides contributions to periodical literature: 1. ‘Metrical Essays, on Subjects of History and Imagination,’ 1827; 2nd edit. 1828. 2. ‘Beauties of the Mind, a Poetical Sketch, with Lays Historical and Romantic,’ 1831. 3. ‘Dryburgh Abbey, a Poem on the Death of Sir Walter Scott,’ 1832; new edit. 1868. 4. ‘The Mind and other Poems,’ 1832. Of this, his most ambitious work, a beautifully illustrated edition came out in 1841, and a 6th edit. in 1873. 5. ‘Memoir of Henry Liverseege’ v., 1835; reprinted 1864. 6. ‘Cabinet of Poetry and Romance,’ 1844, 4to. 7. ‘Rhymes for Childhood,’ 1846. 8. ‘Dramatic Chapters, Poems and Songs,’ with portrait, 1847; 2nd edit. 1850. 9. ‘English Melodies,’ 1849. 10. ‘Letters of Laura D'Auverne,’ with other poems, 1853. 11. ‘Art and Fashion: with other Sketches, Songs and Poems,’ 1863. 12. ‘Songs and Ballads,’ 1867 (5th edit. 1877). A collected edition of his poems was published at Boston, U.S., in 1857, and ‘Selections,’ with portrait, appeared in 1906. Recognition Swain was held in great esteem in his native city, and was honorary professor of poetry at the Manchester Royal Institution, where in 1846 he lectured on modern poets. He was awarded a Civil List pension of £50 on 1 Dec. 1856. A memorial to him is placed in Prestwich church. There are oil portraits of Swain by William Bradley at the free library and the City Art Gallery in Manchester, and at the Salford museum. Publications Poetry *''Metrical Essays: On subjects of history and imagination''. London, Ebenezer Palmer, 1827. *''Beauties of the Mind: A poetical sketch; with Lays historical and romantic''. London : Simpkin & Marshall, 1831. *''Dryburgh Abbey, the Burial Place of Sir Walter Scott: A vision''. 1832; Boston: Monroe & Francis, 1833. *''The Mind, and other poems. London: Till & Bogue, 1841. *Dramatic Chapters: Poems and songs. London: David Bogue, 1847. *English Melodies. London: Longman, Brown, Green, & Longmans, 1849. *''Letters of Laura d'Auverne. London: Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans, 1853. *''Poems''. Boston: Whittemore, 1857. *''Art and Fashion; with other sketches, songs, and poems''. London: Virtue Bros., 1863. *''Songs and Ballads. London: Simpkin, Marshall / Manchester, UK: A. Ireland, 1867. *Dryburgh Abbey, and other poems. London: Simpkin, Marshall / Manchester, UK: A. Ireland, 1868. *''Selections. London: Arthur C. Fifield, 1906. Non-fiction *''Memoir of Henry Liverseege''. Manchester, UK: 1835. Juvenile *''Rhymes for Childhood''. Leeds, UK: Webb & Millington, 1846. Edited *''Cabinet of Poetry and Romance: Female portraits from the writings of Byron and Scott, with Poetical Illustrations''. London: 1845. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Charles Swain, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Dec. 8, 2016. See also *List of British poets References * . Wikisource, Web, Dec. 8, 2016. Notes External links *"Tripping down the field-path" *Charles Swain profile & poem ("Let Us Love One Another") at Hymntime *"Take the world as it is" *"Life" *"Carthage: A fragment" *"Poesy" *Swain in A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895: "Tripping down the Field-Path," "Take the World As It Is," "Life," "The Roe Thou Gav'st," "T'was Just Before the Hay Was Mown" *Charles Swain at AllPoetry (8 poems) *Charles Swain at Poetry Nook (86 poems) ;Books *Charles Swain at Internet Archive ;About *Charles Swain (1801-1874) at English Poetry, 1579-1830 Swain, Charles Category:1801 births Category:1874 deaths Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:English poets Category:People from Manchester Category:Poets